Lingo Mastery has embarked on a new mission – to make French more accessible to a wider population. In the Introductory Note the goal is stated well: ‘Just like any other goal you set for yourself in life, learning a new language can be intimidating at first and may seem like a mountain to climb. You’ll spend a lot of time talking or thinking about it, but actually doing something about it? Easier said than done. Learning a language is just like dieting, really: it’s easy to postpone and it takes a lot of motivation to get started, but when you finally get into it and start to see results as you go along, you’ll find that it is extremely rewarding, in so many ways. Indeed, knowing more than one language isn’t just something to brag about. It’s a valuable asset to your overall knowledge, and it gives you an in depth and personal access to a whole new culture: music, literature, history, science, sociology, gastronomy… and most importantly, you will get the unique chance to discuss, share and learn with remarkable people you would otherwise never have met. When you face yourself in the mirror and finally decide to go on a diet, it’s because you have an objective in mind – a final goal – which will take time to achieve. The same goes with learning a new language: your objective, reason or purpose will help you stay focused and motivated along the way, no matter how long it takes. It’s true: every learner is different, has his or her own ways and progresses at his or her own pace. Setting unreasonable goals for yourself or trying to rush into things will definitely affect your level of interest, which is why you need to constantly remind yourself of your objectives, keep track of your progress and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. In the end, learning a new language will help you learn more about yourself. When you ask yourself the question “Why should I learn to speak French?”, consider this: French is one of the few languages that is spoken and taught on all five continents, with over 220 million speakers worldwide. It is ranked the sixth most widely spoken language in the world and is the official language for 29 countries, which puts it right after English in this category. Being able to communicate fluently in French will not only give you access to more leisure travel destinations, it will also allow you to become a valuable candidate for quality job opportunities around the globe: many large companies – and that’s a fact – will favor a bilingual candidate, since they have the capacity to communicate with a larger amount of existing or potential clients and can be understood on a much larger territory’.
After their success ‘teaching Spanish’, now they turn to teach French! And it works.
The technique is to expand vocabulary – ‘Learning the first thousand (1000) most frequently used words of a language will allow you to understand 76.0% of all non-fiction writing, 79.6% of all fiction writing and an astounding 87.8% of all oral speech. Learning the top two thousand (2000) most frequently used words will get you to 84% for non-fiction, 86.1% for fiction, and 92.7% for oral speech. Learning the top three thousand (3000) most frequently used words will get you to 88.2% for non-fiction, 89.6% for fiction, and 94.0% for oral speech.’ The specifics of the language are outlined (especially the importance of masculine and feminine) and then the lessons begin.
Examples - ‘Être – To be Pas besoin d’être un champion du monde pour s’amuser au golf. No need to be a world champion to enjoy yourself while playing golf.
De – From - La grand-mère de mon père venait de Pologne. My father’s grandmother was from Poland.
Plus – More/No more - Jacques vourait plus de salade de fruit, mais il n’en reste plus. Jacques would want more fruit salad, but there is no more left.
Autre – Other Sa voiture ne fonctionne plus, elle doit en acheter une autre. Her car no longer works, she needs to buy another.
And so it proceeds with one of the more accessible adjuncts to mastering the French vocabulary in a manner that places words in context and thus – easy to remember!
The technique is solid and the lessons well taught. This is a very fine introduction to French, appropriate for all age levels, and a book much needed at this time in our national status! Grady Harp, August 18
KM
Grady Harp
Anne